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Earthday Briefing: Five Rational Principles for a Better Environment

April 17, 1998

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On April 22nd, the day Americans celebrate preservation of the Earth's natural habitat, the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) will sponsor a Congressional Briefing to propose principles to help solve one of the most important dilemmas facing modern Americans: How do we best advance environmental protection while ensuring continued economic growth and individual rights?

The Briefing will propose these 5 "Green Growth Principles for a Better Environment:"

Move toward community-based environmentalism

Improve environmental protection by allowing markets to work

Require that government policies do not harm the environment

Punish real polluters, not paperwork errors

Focus environmental education on science, not advocacy

While the last 20 years of environmental reform have been costly and have caused conflict between "greens" and economists, those who have pointed out the excesses of current environmental programs have failed to provide a vision of future environmental progress. Adopting principles that avoid past mistakes and build on proven successes can ensure a clean, healthy environment for the 21st century.